Save Me
by darkenedmoonlightflame
Summary: Who could know that what he was really afraid of wasn't death or battle at all? No. The mortal fear was drowning. The two words he chose to say to his enemy as she watched him die... 'Save me.' BankotsuKagome ONESHOT.


**o.O.o.O**

**Save Me (hints at Ban/Kag)**

**darkenedmoonlightflame**

**Hints at Ban/Kag. Who could know that what he was really afraid of wasn't death or battle at all? But it was drowning. The question; emotions or water? The two words he chooses to say to his enemy as she watched him die... 'Save me.'**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Inuyasha or the Backstreet Boys' song 'Drowning' (sigh).**

(A/N: I'm planning this as a ONE-SHOT, so hopefully that's how it'll go. I'm not terribly wonderful at short stories… but I'll try. This is somewhere between a minor Bankotsu/Kagome and hints at it. Well, just read it.)

**Save Me**

Now that he looked back into his tragic life, it didn't really seem quite so tragic as it was played up to be. Maybe it was the fact he was dying. Maybe it was because he wasn't sure if she had pushed him away.

_**Don't pretend you're sorry  
I know you're not **_

He couldn't be sure, could he? Either way it was a fairly awful situation. He could drown thinking about it too long, or she could have pushed him, and would be there to make sure he died. All he could remember was staring at the blue water. So blue. It shimmered and twisted, unaffected by fear for his Banryuu. It fascinated him. As he was fascinated with _her._

_**  
You know you got the power to make me weak inside  
Girl you leave me breathless **_

The feisty miko. Kagome, was it? The life that emitted from her might as well have been a glow that attracted a firefly or a meaningless insect for all he cared. The fact she seemed inhumanly beautiful to his eyes certainly didn't go to waste.

_**  
But it's ok  
Cause you are my survival **_

But did she push him? It was hard to imagine. She was always so happy, so cheerful, so optimistic. He didn't think she had it in her to kill someone. Not even her enemy. Especially since… It evaded him. But all he knew was one minute he was leaning out far over the surface… The next, underneath it. With her watching him from above.

_**Now hear me say... **_

She had looked so sad. Like her heart just got stomped on or something. 'Geez, if you're gonna stand there, at least look happy that you're killing me, ne?' he thought.

_**  
I can't imagine life without your love **_

That's what he didn't get. If she pushed him, why was she crying? Even if she hadn't, why WAS she crying? His rational and sharp mind was numbing from the crazy instincts that urged him to stay alive.****

And even forever don't seem like long enough

His breath was starting to float away now, and he managed to break the surface for a breath, before being pushed under by the current. His armor was dragging him down; he shed it, abandoning it to the bottom of the lake.****

Chorus:  
'Cause every time I breathe I take you in  
And my heart beats again

He felt his heart racing, his azure-gray eyes widening as he felt it. It had been a long time for him to lose control of it. He made the mistake of inhaling sharply, and water flooded his lungs. He strained to break the surface.

_**  
Baby I can't help it  
You keep me drowning in your love  
Every time I try to rise above  
I'm swept away by love **_

He coughed violently, lamenting the loss of precious air. At least he had broken the surface. He gulped greedily before he lost his grip on the shore.

_**  
Baby I can't help it  
You keep me drowning in your love **_

Her eyes were wearing down his resistance. 'I'm sorry,' they seemed to say. But… there was something.

_**  
Maybe I'm a drifter  
Maybe not  
'Cause I am longing the safety of floating freely in your arms **_

Something important. What did he have to remember? His mind grew hazy as he fought to draw air again.

_**  
I don't need another lifeline  
It's not for me  
'Cause only you can save me  
Oh, can't you see? **_

He lost another stream of bubbles to the persistent water. It was beating him thoroughly. He had never dreamed he'd die of not learning how to swim properly against strong currents. He should have died in battle, like before. After all, he was a mercenary. And he had deemed it unimportant.

**_I can't imagine life without your love  
And even forever don't seem like long enough  
(Don't seem like long enough, yeah) _**

He could remember things, now. Small things. How the miko would always have such terrible aim and still be happy, and yet how she wilted when that Inutrasha shouted at her about some clay pot. How she would always be so nice to him anyway. It made him mad. **_  
_**

_**Chorus:  
Cause every time I breathe I take you in  
And my heart beats again **_

Why couldn't the damn Inutrasha see what he had?

_**  
Baby I can't help it  
You keep me drowning in your love  
And every time I try to rise above **_

Gasping, he clutched at the sides of the lake's rock formation, and drew in long breaths of air. But the current still swept him away from his lifeline.

_**  
I'm swept away by love  
Baby I can't help it  
You keep me drowning in your love **_

Lately he had been unfocused and losing his touch during missions against the Inutrasha group. He could feel it at the tip of his tongue. It was important…

**_Go on and pull me under  
Cover me with dreams, yeah _**

Searching his memories, he could remember things. Little things. How the miko would always slip away from the camp to cry, slumped on the rim of the Bone Eater's Well, mumbling things like, 'Why can't I come back?', 'Why did I stay?', and 'Kikyo…'

_**  
Love me mouth to mouth now  
You know I can't resist  
Cause you're the air that I breathe **_

He knew. He knew, because he had walked in on her nightly depressed sessions. He would stand there awkwardly, before leaving. It wasn't much, but soon he came every night. Soon she cried a bit less each time. Instead they sat together, silent.

_**  
Chorus:  
Every time I breathe I take you in (Every time I breathe, yeah)  
And my heart beats again **_

He grew bolder, and decided to join her more profoundly. He would now sit with his back pressed against the other side of the Well. She didn't seem to mind the change. Eventually the distance shortened until they sat on the rim together.

_**  
Baby I can't help it (baby I can't help it)  
Keep me drowning in your love  
And every time I try to rise above  
I'm swept away by love **_

Eventually Jakotsu had noticed his absence, and forbid him from going, using pitiful excuses such as 'You never sit and eat with us anymore!' or 'Let's have a sake contest, ne?'. Eventually he gave up on going. He forgot about the miko and their silent vigil.

_**  
Baby I can't help it (Baby I can't help it)  
Keep me drowning in your love (Loooooooooooooooooove) **_

Is that it? Had she pushed him because of that? Because he forgot her, and became like his enemy, the hanyou? He still wasn't sure.****

Baby I can't help it  
Keep me drowning in your love (Keep me drowning in your love)

The sensible part screamed, 'SHE DID IT! SHE HATES YOU!' while a different part refused to believe. What grounds did it have?****

Whoa, got me drowning, keep me drowning in your love

He would have to trust… He decided to believe the other, just in case it would keep him alive. Swallowing his pride, he found the words and choked them past the lump in his thoat.****

Baby I can't help it (I can't help it, can't help it, no no)

'Save me.'****

Every time I breathe I take you in (Yeah I do)  
And my heart beats again

She smiled, so sad, so happy, so bittersweet. His heart stopped for a moment.

_**Baby I can't help it (Baby I can't help it)  
Keep me drowning in your love **_

She was wading in to him. There were ugly bruises crawling up her arms and legs, and her cheek was an angry red. Then he remembered. He had come to the Well one last time, before they were to start executing a plan to wipe out the Inutrasha group for good. For forever. She was there.

_**  
Every time I try to rise above (Every time I try to rise, rise above) **_

**_  
_**'I… I have something to tell you…' She had said.

_**  
I'm swept away by love **_

'I… I missed you. I… I think I… like you more than I should… Must we be enemies…?' He hadn't said anything, only gone to watch the water, leaving her behind. As he left, he saw a red blur descend. That ungrateful bastard had finally seen what was before him, and was irked. He blamed her abused condition on the hanyou. It was reasonable. Then he recalled it; a flash of red in the lush greenery behind her. Inutrasha. Yes, it all fit. He was responsible for the woes.****

Baby I can't help it  
Keep drowning in your love

He felt her hand clasped in his cold one, leading to shore, and he smiled, although his teeth chattered. She leaned against him carefully, wrapping an arm around his torso. Instinctively, his arms wrapped around her and crushed her into his chest, cradling her. Whether for warmth or not, he knew one thing.

'N-No…'

'No what, Bankotsu?'

'No. We don't have to be enemies… If you don't want us to.' He adjusted the position, drawing her closer. 'I mean, yeah, I meant to say that all along. Sorry I… well, didn't come.' He added lamely.

'It's all right. I've waited longer for worse cases…' She trailed off, burying her face into his soaked haori.

'So… I'm forgiven?'

'If you want me to.' She mocked affectionately.

He managed a cocky smirk. 'Yeah? Well I want you to, Kagome.' She blushed and held on to him tighter, hiding her face. 'You don't have to hide from me.' He prompted, and her flushed face appeared slowly.

His teasing grin vanished, and he slowly leaned down until they were inches apart, eyes locked. Slowly she leaned in, and their lips met...

Most tragedies end… well, tragic.

But maybe his life wouldn't be that tragic after all. If all failed, which it most surely would eventually, he still had some hope left, in loving _her. _Only it wasn't _her _any longer. It was Kagome.

**A/N**: Well, I had a lovely rant planned… but I sort kinda forgot it. Heheheh. Well, this is my first one-shot, so let me know how it was. I know the whole Bankotsu not remembering thing is cheesy, but hey, work with me. I'm trying to test out my capability at ONESHOTS (more on the way).

I'm foregoing the blah because I'm trying to get this thingamabob up… for no reason in particular. Hah, weird. So… yeah. I'll put a quick reference thing.

And this was told from Third Person Limited POV. (Where someone outside story tells it, focusing mainly on one character's feeling, etc.) All the HE's were supposed to be there. I didn't want to use his name too much to give it away, even though I DID give it away with the Banryuu thing. Ugh.

So, here we are.

Miko- priestess

Ne- an add-on at the end of a sentence, usually a question to put emphasis. Sorta like an English 'Eh?' (EX: That cheeseburger (boooooooo) sure sucked, eh?)

Hanyou- half demon (cough inuyasha cough)

Haori- Japanese man's top, basically. Feudal Era style!

Well, I'm rushing! So here you are. Please review!

**See ya,**

**o.O.o.O darkenedmoonlightflame O.o.O.o**

**And company. My adorably annoying muses.**

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